Although astronaut cuisine has improved considerably over the decades, this year's Thanksgiving menu aboard the International Space Station still consists mostly of freeze-dried and dehydrated dishes. But future missions will likely have access to one fresh vegetable: sweet potatoes.

NASA is researching and developing ways to extend the shelf life of food needed for deep space missions and to minimize the volume of packaging. The agency also is using the space station as a laboratory to learn how to grow plants in space.